Claustrophobia
by Althea SaDiablo
Summary: Waking up trapped in a coffin just isn't fun. Yes, I lean towards A/I. Can't help it, but this is mainly introspection. A character study, if you will.


Disclaimer: I don't own Hellsing. I'm just not that special. 

Author's Note: Well, I had this hanging around my computer, and I decided to post it. It's very short, and my apologies for that . . . I'll probably add to it, but it's going to remain short and introspective unless I get inspiration for a plot. More me exploring the characters than anything else, but I thought people might be interested. Or not . . . but I would appreciate reviews and honest criticism, in any case. :-)

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Alucard had a single second's warning, just enough to clamp a hand over her mouth.

All of her muscles tensed at once, and then she exploded.

"Master. Mas-" he grunted as she slammed an elbow into his stomach and shifted his grip on her. A mistake- she managed to twist enough to free her head (connecting the back of her skull to his jaw with an audable crack), and viciously sank her teeth into his gloved hand. "Integral!"

She stopped fighting at the sound of her name and went completely still, but she was still tense, and her breathing loud in the close darkness.

He let her go, slowly. "Keep your voice down," he said softly.

"Alucard." There was rage beneath her re-established control, but she was calming, slowly. "What is going on?"

Of course she was furious. "We're in Seras' coffin. Walter hid it under the floorboards."

"Is he all right?" There was no fear in her tone, but he knew it was there, underneath. That she couldn't hide, not from him.

"He's angry."

"Of course." That minute relaxation- she was relieved.

"You're lucky you're not dead."

"You have no business judging my decisions."

"Don't I?" he brushed a finger over her bandaged side, and her breath caught even though she didn't make a sound. "That was unforgivably stupid. And you're bleeding again, Miss Hellsing."

"Don't call me that." She shifted. "Why- of course. They're not looking for Walter, are they? Or Seras."

"Only for you."

"So they went to contact the hellicopter, then." She paused. "If you say, 'I told you so,' I'm going to-"

"I told you so." His smile stretched wide in the dark. How could he resist? She never failed to entertain him. "So what are you going to do?"

She ignored the taunt. "How long ago did they leave?" He knew what the actual question was- how long have I been in here?

"A few hours. It's almost dawn." He could feel it, too, that warning tingle that told him light was returning to the world, and his time among the living was almost done . . . until the next night, of course. But he was powerful, and the pull of death couldn't claim him during the day.

"Why are you here?" she shifted, unable to help herself, but there wasn't much room to move. The coffin wasn't designed for two people- she was already lying mostly on top of him, much too close for her comfort.

"To keep you from panicking, of course."

"I do not panic."

"Oh, really?" He didn't bother with anything more; he could almost see the expression of annoyance on her face. "We're going to be in here for a while, you might as well make yourself comfortable. Walter will probably just ship us back this way."

"Absolutely not."

"He's done it before."

"I'm not returning to England in a coffin."

"May I point out that you're injured?"

"That has nothing to do with it."

"You can't make it on the helicopter and all the way back in your condition."

"Watch me."

He could feel his temper rising. "You can be remarkably stupid for an intelligent woman." She drew breath to snap at him, but he cut her off before she could begin. "Master, if you're going to take bullets for your servants, you had best be prepared to face the concequences. Walter wants you to stay lying down until you've had proper medical care."

"Walter is perfectly capable of-"

"Walter can keep you from dying, if you cooperate. But he picked up his medical knowledge in the field while he was a teenager. He's not a doctor."

"I don't need-"

"Yes, actually, you do. You don't even know how badly you were injured!" He remembered, somewhat belatedly, to keep his voice down. "Forget your pride for once and use your head."

"You don't give orders here." That was all cold temper.

"You're trapped in a coffin with a vampire, Sir Hellsing, and you're bleeding. I don't think you're in much of a position to give orders, either."


End file.
